Our Problems
by GreenPokeGuy
Summary: Everyone has problems that they face. But we only see what we are shown of the Total Drama characters. What problems do they face inside? Collections of angst one-shots, one for each character. Current: Lindsay. Next: Trent. Rated T for dark themes.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama or any of its characters.**

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Her whole life, Lindsay has been referred to as dumb.

Some say it's because she's blonde, some say it's a trade-off for her large breasts. Basically, everyone has an opinion on why Lindsay is as dumb as she is.

All except Lindsay herself. She just doesn't get it.

Sure, she has a bad memory with names, and she often doesn't know how to do things, but that doesn't make her that different to everyone else, right?

…Right?

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The first time she was called dumb, she was in kindergarten. She was playing with some blocks, and one kid noticed that she was trying to fit a circle block into a square base. Naturally, because kids try to be cool when they're young, he called her out on it.

"Look, everyone! Lindsay doesn't know how shapes work! That is so dumb!" he called out, and everyone started laughing, calling Lindsay "dumb" or "stupid". Lindsay ran out of the room crying, and her teacher had to call her parents to pick her up.

When she got home, her parents asked what was wrong.

"The other kids are so mean! They think I'm dumb because I don't know how shapes work." Lindsay said, wiping tears away. Her mother and father hugged her and let her have a nap.

When she woke up the next morning, she didn't want to go back. Her mother pulled her aside and gave her some advice that changed her for the rest of her life.

"Don't you let those kids get to you. If they call you dumb, make up for it with smiles and enthusiasm."

This became her shield against everyone. She did everything happily and didn't care what anyone else thought, even if she messed up constantly. This attracted kids to her, and she became more popular. As the years went by, she developed into a young woman, and her breasts also attracted many boys to her.

This attitude also had the effect of people disliking her, and using her obliviousness to their advantage. Boys would date her to become more popular, and girls would befriend her to get their own way, then they would ditch her. This hurt Lindsay inside, but she never let it show. She had to be the happy girl, even if she was called dumb by these people.

There were two times that someone got through her shield, however. In these moments, she would let out her true feelings on the matter.

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The first time was in 9th grade, when her English teacher kept her back after class. She explained to Lindsay that she was failing the class because she was getting everything wrong. This teacher was also very strict, so she said something horrible that struck Lindsay hard.

"I've never had a student as dumb as you. If you can't even get a pass mark in my class, why do you bother trying?"

This made Lindsay angry, and she stormed out of the room. But instead of breaking down or becoming depressed, Lindsay used this anger to motivate her. She got tutoring for her classes, she signed up for cheerleading and volleyball at school, and she even found a hobby in shopping. Whenever she felt that everything was too hard, she just went to the mall and bought clothes and shoes, and that made her feel better.

Because of this, she did better in school, and she was fitter and could do physical work with ease. The next time she had an assignment in English, she worked her hardest on it, with the help of classmates, her parents and her tutor. When she got it back, her English teacher looked shocked. Lindsay had gotten a B on the assignment.

At the end of the class, Lindsay had run of the room, screaming joyfully about her mark. Her friends had applauded her, and they went to the mall to celebrate after school. She had continued to do well in school.

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The second time was on Total Drama. When Lindsay had signed up for Total Drama, she had hoped to make many friends and have fun. She wasn't particularly fussed about winning, though she would have liked the money.

When Heather gathered her and Beth for the alliance, Lindsay was excited. She had two great friends that she could do anything with! And she was even going to the final three! Or so she thought.

Everywhere she went with Heather, she noticed that everyone gave them glares. She didn't understand, but she didn't question it. Instead, she tried her hardest in the challenges, sometimes completing them successfully. This got her a few other friends, but she still got glares when she was with Heather. Maybe if she was nicer to Heather, that would help? It didn't, of course. Heather just treated her as if she was nothing to her.

When Beth got the boot, Lindsay was confused. Didn't Heather say they were all going to the final three? She assumed that Beth hadn't tried hard enough. So she put more energy into her game, with more success.

But then came the changing point for Lindsay. She was betrayed by Heather.

When Lindsay questioned Heather about their friendship, she discovered that Heather didn't care. This made something in Lindsay snap, and she couldn't help but release her feelings about Heather. This seemed to impress everyone, and when she went to the Dock of Shame, she was happy everyone was there to say goodbye. Except for Heather, of course. She was there because everyone else was. So Lindsay did the nice thing, and wished Heather luck, but then she told Heather that she hoped she would get her just desserts. So she left the island with a smile and more friends than before.

Little did she know, Heather would get her just desserts. Indirectly through her, no less.

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Lindsay has always been just a dumb blonde to many people. But she doesn't care what people think. She's happy and enthusiastic, and that gets her through life pretty well.

Even if you do get through to her, you won't break her. Instead, Lindsay will get up, and she'll try harder than ever. She'll prove you wrong.

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**So this is an idea I got as I was reading through the angst section. There will be a chapter for each character. So if you want to see your favourite character, review and you may receive a PM asking for who you want to see next. ;)**

**This was quite hard to write, because I don't think Lindsay really fits in the angst category. She's just so happy and oblivious. So if this feels a little weird, it's because I had difficulty with it. Sorry.**

**Also, if this doesn't seem too angsty, it's because some will be darker than others. I thought Lindsay deserved a happier one.**

**If you liked this chapter, review and tell me what you thought, and I may include your choice of character soon. :)**

**Hope to see you soon! Next up will be Trent!**

**-Green**


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